Welcome to King's County
by focusedOnProsperity
Summary: A high profiled & gruesome murder has hit small town King's County. Who is telling the truth? Who is guilty? Can personal issues stay out of the way? AU, non ZA. Some Richonne. Many characters. Graphic Material
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: In Your Head**

Rick Grimes pinched his nose. She knew this likely meant, and began rubbing his shoulders, intertwined with kisses.

"No, I just can't."

She sighed, and rolled over to the other side of the bed.

"It's bad enough you stopped to pick up the phone. What was it?"

"They want me go over to Sgt. Ford's house."

"Can't Daryl or Shane go? Why do you have to always go when something happens?" She rested on her elbows now, knowing in her heart the lovemaking session had evaporated.

He stopped rubbing to turn around from his position at the edge of the bed. He stared at her questioningly for 20 seconds. "Lori, I am this town." She responded with rolling eyes. "Babe, you know this." He affectionately kissed her shoulder as she turned her back.

"So you want to continue this before you go?"

"No," he began walking to the master bathroom. "Try waiting up for me?"

Her eyes batted. She did not answer and he didn't wait for the response.

"Bout time yo' ass showed out," Shane declared. He stood in front of the ranch-style mansion, inhaling his cigarette.

"What are you doing here," inquired Rick. "I was on my way you know."

Shane rubbed his head. "Yea, well Rhee and his people heard you weren't here yet."

"Shiiiit! Let's just get this going. What's going on here?"

"Well," Shane opened the door to the crime scene. "It ain't lookin' pretty." They walked through the outdoorsmen looking living room to walk up the stairs. "I know me 'n' you never seen anything like this before, so be ready to not be ready. The upstairs hallway had more of a feminine touch; family portraits adorned the well-lit hall. "I used to say this lady shoulda came my way." He opened the master bedroom door. "And lookin at this, she shoulda given yo' ol' boy a chance.

On the floor lay what was Hollie Ford. Her blonde head was separated from the rest of her body. The distance between what was once one spanned the width of the giant room. A blood trail lay in between the body parts, and even her abdomen was not left untouched. Her intestines were sprawled and nearly touched her bed.

Rick's instinctively cupped his mouth.

"Down the hall to the left," informed Shane.

It wasn't hard to cuff Abraham Ford. He was the one who called 911. He sat on his couch and awaited the officials' arrival. His witty banter left his soul. All he wanted to do was to wake up from this nightmare. The yells and threats from Officers Dixon and Walsh were background noises. They weren't going to kill him, so what did it matter?

"I want my lawyer."

They shut up. Behind the mirror were Rick and D.A. Glenn Rhee. They both sighed when he said this.

"I don't care what the prick does, that sick asshole is going down," prophesized Glenn.

"It just doesn't make any kind of sense," pondered the sheriff.

Glenn sniffed. "He's not the first veteran who lost his mind. No one ever believed me when I used to say that soldiers have PTSD."

"Yea, but that was pretty damn gruesome."

The DA shook his head at the thought. "Well, no matter what, we have to get his lawyer. This man has money. I'm looking forward to some golden laced bullshit for his defense."

Rick later informed Daryl and Shane that he'd handle the interrogation. If he was "the police", then he'd better be ready to interrogate someone while a rich lawyer was there.

While waiting, he received a text from Lori. _Just found out Shane went to the crime scene. You could have stayed home. How much do you really care about me, if it's so easy to leave me_?

His face soured. He wished she would understand how much he loved her, but the need to fight over what didn't need to be fought about killed him.

After a few hours, the lawyer finally made their appearance. The precinct echoed the click clack of her Louis Vuittons stomped through. Other noises were made as many pens dropped. The steps stopped in front of Rick's desk, whose eyes still focused on the frustrating essay/texts that Lori continuously sent.

"Excuse me," she intruded.

The sheriff looked up to the woman with flawless skin, hair wrapped in a bun, wide brown eyes. He was taken back, and momentarily forgot his purpose for being at work at this God forsaken time.

"Uh, yes, how can I help you."

"Ford, Abraham Ford. I'm here for my client."

"Yes ma'am, right this way." He jumped out of his seat to lead the way. He had to remind himself that she was the enemy, and there couldn't be many pleasantries between them. He opened the door and received nothing but a cold nod as a thanks.

The interview did not go well at all. At least not for Rick. It seemed that attorney Michonne Gibson could read his every thought. There was no progress. All he could say was that the accused called 911 and waited to be arrested. That said nothing, and made him feel weak as a leader. This Gibson character struck him down without a thought. She didn't seem to be from around here in King's County. She didn't seem to be from the South either. Who was she? Was it her who smelled so good.

Rick's eyes closed tight as he tried to focus on writing his report. The DA was going to be pissed, and Abraham's savvy attorney would likely and effectively fight for bail. Shane was right, he wasn't ready for this.

He drank some coffee as he walked up to Daryl's desk.

"You have anythang else on this Ford case?"

"Well," Daryl began, "he was probably screwin' around."

"Is that so?"

"Ever heard of Rosita Espinosa?"

Rick scratched his head. "No."

"She's a Playboy bunny. Did this spread back in April…whew boy!" Rick glared at him. "Yea, well, anyway, rumor has it that they've been fuckin'."

Rick expected Lori to still be in bed by the time he got home at 5am. That or cooking. She didn't work… He was planning to crawl into that bed and make up for their interruption, sex her enough so that the thoughts of Hollie's body could drift out of his mind. So that the sexiness of how M. Gibson crossed and uncrossed her legs would fade away into how beautiful his wife was. Instead, he came home to seeing her packing his bags. As she continued to attempt to get a rise out of him, he marched into bed and slept with one hand on his dick.


	2. Chapter 2

**_AN: _**_Thanks everyone for the reviews!_

**Chapter 2: Friend's in Need**

Michonne's short time in this country time was proving to be interesting already. She had only been there for a few days, and had a high profile case. This was definitely beating all of her expectations.

"So, how many of those hick cops dropped their jobs when they saw you? " asked Mike as he wiped Andre's face.

Michonne blushed. "Maybe all of them. But seriously, no one had that on their mind."

"Yea, that's a bona fide lie," he laughed. He was proud of the beauty he had, and was really self-assured. As attractive as she was, he knew she won a prize also. "Will you tell me what the case is about?"

She laughed and picked up little Andre. "You know there are too many ears around here for that."

"Cofientialidy!" Exclaimed the toddler.

"Exactly!" Beamed his mother at his intelligence.

Mike sockets l snickered as he grabbed his son's small book bag. "I can't stand how you two team up against me."

"You love it!" She leaned in for a sweet kiss, which he reciprocated. They stepped out their home together, starting out another day in a new town.

/

Abraham knew she could help pay for the collect calls. He was beyond annoyed with his current situation. If anyone could prove his alibi, it was her. He was sure she was aware of his predicament - a celebrity like him in this small town with a stubbed toe would be on the news 24/7. Hopefully, Attorney Gibson was gifted in getting her clients' bail. He did not deserve this crap.

"Are you, are you Sgt. Abe?"

Abraham continued to look outside of the lockup.

"You are!" exclaimed the man sharing his cell.

Abraham sighed and looked over. The man was shorter than him and well dressed, however his tie was lose and a shirt tail hung out of his pants.

"You, you don't have to answer. I just want you to know I'm one of your biggest fans! You inspired me to join the army! Now I'm a trauma medic, just following my dreams like you always said."

Abe hesitantly nodded his head. "Well, that's good."

"My wife just threw me out, though. She said no matter how much I try to brighten her up, I fuck up the reality." Abe faintly smelled liquor.

"Do you really think you should be telling all of your business to someone you just met?"

"Uh, you're right." The young man secluded himself to a corner, much to Abraham's satisfaction.

The friendly man made him realize that he should call a close friend rather than a possibly vindictive woman. He waved an officer over so that he could reach out to Eugene.

/

"Hi, this is Officer Dixon. No, this ain't about some stalker. What? No, we're not handling that. Excuse me? If you could let me finish? Nah, I'm calling from King's County. He-Hello? Piece of shit!" Daryl slammed the phone. He looked over to Shane, who shook his head with the same look of dismay.

"Dammit Dixon, I know I got some other shit to do than this! We're the damn police; I never had to beg to speak to anyone!"

"Yea, I feel like a stalker to this chick I don't even care about!" They paused, trying to figure something out. "Has Rick told you anything?"

"Nah, not ye-"

Rick walked in, greeting his comrades with a nod of the head. "What's up boys?"

"Nothin," responded Daryl.

"Not shit," truthfully told Shane. He rubbed his head. "Do we really need to do work on this? I mean, it should be obvious that man did some ol' Saw shit to his woman. Right?"

Rick pinched his nose. "Um, no. He has some hot shot lawyer from out of town."

"How much of a hot shot could he be?" asked Daryl.

"Glenn told me of how _she_ helped this woman get off from killing her husband. They found her standing outside of her burning house, not crying or anythang, and all of the evidence was there. She used domestic violence as a defense, even though there was no legal record of him abusing her."

"Shiiiiit," Shane rubbed his head. "I hate mother fuckers who put their hands on women, but I know women hardly stand a chance when they kill their abuser."

"Yea, Glenn told me some other cases. The point is, we need to cross our t's and dot our i's."

"What?" asked Daryl.

Shane playfully tapped his head. "That means get to work, fool, and let's make sure this mother fucker gets life or the death penalty!"

/

"Hello?"

"Hey, thanks for taking my call. Have you seen the news?"

"Y-yes. That is affirmative," the monotone voice replied.

"Eugene, I really need your help. I need you to reach out to Rosita for me, okay. This is life or death!"

"That would be feat left for someone who could handle her handlers, and her handlers have kicked me out of several buildings before."

Abraham rubbed his face. Did Eugene just admit that he was her stalker? "Okay," he sighed.

"You have 60 seconds," interrupted the automated operator.

Eugene stated, "60 seconds is not enough time to plan anything to procure your freedom from that temporary place of incarceration."

Abraham did not wait. He slammed the phone down instead. He was dealing with a wife who was heinously murdered, a lover and his only alibi who avoided his calls, and a moron for a best friend who stalked his lover. Yep, things were going pretty well for him…sure.

/

The DA hurried to his lunch meeting. Although it was a lunch meeting, he could never afford to be late. At least, that's what he always told himself. The elevator moved fast enough. He waved high to the people whose offices stood in the way of the most important office. His strong demeanor faltered just a bit when he walked through the double doors, seeing her gorgeous face as she scrolled her smart phone.

"A woman who works so hard deserves some Thai."

Her eyes quickly left her phone to the bags in his hand. She rose from behind her desk to give him a tender kiss. "This is one of the reasons I can never stop loving you." She kissed him again.

"No, I'm the lucky one." He really believed that, with all of his soul.

They sat at her desk. "So," she inquired, "you can never really make me mad. But I need to know. When were you gonna tell me about this Sgt. Abe and Hollie?"

Glenn sighed. "Maggie, I was about to do it during our lunch, which is now."

"Yea, well, I have to know this. We have to make sure that everyone at least feels safe. How can they feel safe if I'm out of the loop?"

"You're right, honey. Well, it happened, and he has a big time lawyer."

Maggie deeply inhaled. "It's funny, I'm not the cause of problems like this to happen. But I'm sure people will blame you and me if this doesn't get taken care of the right way."

He reached over to hold her hand. "You know, I know it's tough for you to fill your father's shoes. I still know you'll be the best mayor this place ever had."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Annoyed**

He had to be the most fidgety client she ever had! She had to remind herself to not swat his hand as she would Andre; this man was no child – but he sure could behave like an overgrown child! Then again, he had a horrible case that he professed his innocence to. She had to understand the nervousness.

"What do you think he'll say?"

Michonne remained calm. "What did I tell you, Sgt. Ford? We'll have to wait and see. I know you're aware, but this case is very…complicated. We'll just play on your service to the community, service to this country, and philanthropy."

Abraham sunk in his chair. He thought of former comrades, some of whom who were forgotten by society who he had to fight for to get into housing and other services. He knew deep in his heart that service maybe meant nothing for a cheating man who had a wife at home with a severed head.

"Whatever happens today, you have to show true sadness for her death." Lights bounced off of her glasses.

"_True sadness_? I'm beyond that! She was the love of my life."

"We'll," she cleared her throat, "get more into that later in private –"

"Order in the court! Now presenting, Judge Phillip Blake!"

-00000000-

"All right babe. Yea, you know big daddy will give it to you just the way you like it. Is it mine? You know it is. Oh really? Um, I'm gonna have to hit you back lata'." Shane pressed the end button quickly.

Rick laughed, "Okay Casanova, didn't mean to interrupt."

Shane rubbed his head. "Nah man, I gotta get back to work anyway. These ladies harass me – I gotta give 'em a taste so that they can get by for the rest of the day without me. They just have to get cut off when they start throwing that L word in there."

Rick smirked. "Man, I wish I had that kind of pull with my own wife. She wants me to do so much stuff, but I'm always doing _stuff_ and _thangs_. It's not enough."

"When was the last time you took her out?"

Rick stared outside the car window. "Shit, we all went out to Fish 'n' Chips last weekend."

"_We all went out._ Dude, you are so clueless at times man! You need to just take _her _out!"

Rick laughed at the simplicity of the situation. "I guess."

"Yea, you know I'm right, man. Get it togetha!"

"Well, it's hard. Its bad enough I don't spend enough time with her. But, on top of that, I don't spend enough time with Carl or Judith. I'm not gonna stop taking my job serious, either. She wants this. She wants that. Do you know I rub her feet at least 4 times a week?"

"What the hell?" Shane rubbed his head, glad that he didn't have a fate as cruel. "Oh wait…is that him?"

Rick pulled out his binoculars. "I see a mullet…yea, no one has a mullet anymore, not even down here. Let's go say hi."

-00000000-

The DA continued, "The defendant has many resources, and is definitely a flight risk. This man should not be given the opportunity to run away from this case. His wife was heinously murdered, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the rest of the community is protected."

Abraham shifted in his chains. "I ain't no damn threat! I served for this damn country!"

Michonne nudged him to quiet.

"Mr. Ford," the judge struck down his mallet. "You only spoke when spoken to in my court! Ms. Gibson, please keep your client under control."

"Yes, Judge Blake." Michonne eyes' shot daggers at Abraham.

"Can you tell us why Mr. Ford deserves bail?"

"Judge Blake, Sgt. Ford has been more than a civil servant. He has no criminal records. He has served for the military for over seventeen years and didn't just retire, but has been actively involved in the community with philanthropy and other services. We wouldn't even have a local VA office in this county without his efforts. He knows the laws and realizes the seriousness of this case. He is also well aware that there are strong repercussions for leaving town."

The judge rubbed his chin, staring at Michonne long enough to make her uncomfortable. DA Rhee even got uneasy.

"His bail it is set at $1 billion, it is so ordered." The judge left quickly.

Michonne looked worriedly at her client, while Glenn happily shook hands with his team.

"I don't have _that _much money!" proclaimed Abraham.

"I know," she meekly responded.

-000000000-

Eugene was not ready when they approached him. Really, he was never ready when anyone approached him. He loved solitude in life. It allowed him not to encounter the strange stares people gave him in conversations and the chance to do what he wanted to do. Abe was the only one who was okay with dealing with him. Well, Rosita used to like him until…

"Sheriff Grimes and Deputy Walsh." The one with the wide-brimmed hat flashed his badge. "Are you Eugene Porter?"

"Umm, yes." His sweaty fingers dropped his keys. He kneeled to pick them up, fumbled once again to open his door, and dropped them again.

"Jesus Christ," sighed Shane as he rubbed his head.

"I, I just want you to know that it's well within my rights to enjoy explicit material of women engaged in sexual activity over the age of 18 on the devices that I own."

"What?!" Rick's face expressed disgust. "Gimme those damn keys!" He unlocked Eugene's apartment door so that he wouldn't say anymore nonsense in public.

They walked into the barely furnished home. "Do you know Abraham Ford," asked Deputy Walsh.

"Yes, he's a friend, through and through."

"Do you know of his whereabouts two nights ago?" inquired the sheriff.

Eugene's hands were shaky.

"Mr. Porter?"

"Ummmm, I do not recall the events of that night, no sir." He patted the sweat of his forehead with his bare palms.

Rick stood up. "Thank you for your time sir."

They left the apartment and got into the patrol car quickly.

"What the fuck was that?!" exclaimed Shane, rubbing his head once again.

Rick pinched his nose. "Shit if I know. I think we really need that forensic report before the next business day. No word on Espinosa yet?"

"Maybe you should try reaching her. Daryl can't get past her people, and he doesn't appreciate being called a redneck and hick during each phone call."

-0000000-

The "Chateau Lounge" tried as hard at its attempt at a classy name to be unique. A base player took the lead while the rest of the jazz band played sultry music. The room was dimmed red and the furniture was a white postmodern fantasy land.

Rick tried to not think about the amount of extra hours he might have to put in for this treat to his wife. He also hoped it was worth it. So far so good. She was all smiles as he pushed her chair in as she sat down.

"Rick, you shouldn't have," she beamed. "This place, wow, I never saw anything like it! You should surprise me more often!" He was so proud of how beautiful she looked in her flowery teal dress.

"I'd do anything to keep you smiling like this," he held her hands and was lost in his own meditative grin. Her hand grabbed onto his, but her eyes darted away from his stare.

"Well, I'm not sure that you would."

He ignored her words. "Tonight is your night, our night. I don't want you to be concerned about Carl and Judith – they'll be at my mom's. There's a surprise at home too…"

Lori's eyes watered. "Oh Rick!"

He smiled once again to her pleasure, but that soon faded when he glanced past her. His grinning eyes transformed into a piercing stare.

"Rick?" Lori turned around to see a handsome black couple that she never saw. "What is it?"

"N-nothing," he stuttered. He didn't want to admit the mixed emotions that hit him when he saw the defense attorney who shook him to his core, who he barely knew, but drew him in all at once. Rick was perplexed as to why he was upset that she actually could be happy, actually could be romantically involved with someone, and that person brought her joy. He rubbed his face. His thoughts disturbed him; here he was with his beautiful wife and transfixed by the enemy.

"Are you sure," inquired Lori. The sheriff knew that if he didn't have a legitimate answer, she would stump on him with misery.

"They're involved in something I can't tell you about. Honey, you know I can't tell you about the cases."

"Shane tells his girlfriends about what happens."

Rick's jaws clenched.

"Hello Sherriff," Michonne and Mike towered over their table.

"Oh, Hello," Rick stood up to hold out his hand.

Mike shook his. "Mike Edwards. My fiancé was telling me about your police department."

On cue, Michonne smiled and held out her hand for Lori. "Attorney Gibson." Her teeth sparkled.

"Lori Grimes," she pleasantly returned the introduction.

"I see this place is new; have you two ever eaten here before?" asked Michonne.

"No," was the simultaneous answer.

"Well, hopefully, the food is exquisite," Mike commented.

Michonne patted on her man's hand, which had been holding onto hers the whole time. "On that note, it was nice seeing you, and meeting you Mrs. Grimes. I hope you two have a lovely evening."

Rick's eyes followed Michonne's back. "You thinking what I'm thinking," Lori interrupted his thoughts.

"Maybe," her words woke him from his daze.

"Those two seem full of shit. No one's that happy with each other."

Rick sadly nodded his head.


	4. Chapter 4

**_AN: _**_Thanks for the reviews & continued interest! My schedule is very busy now, so the updates will come out much slower. _

**Chapter 4: Compromise**

Her ebony fingers shifted through the wardrobe, feeling edgy about her choices. Most of her outfits were high fashion no doubt, but she began to consider having something a little more laid back for work. Maybe Judge Blake was intimidated by her. It wouldn't be the first time that happened in the judicial jungle. Besides, they now lived in a good ol' boy county, she was sure of it. She'd deal with any kind of environment to make sure her family thrived; to make sure he wasn't tempted by their surroundings.

"Babe," his sultry whisper breathed on the back of her neck as he locked his arms around her waist. "Why not wear nothing today?" He spanked her ass.

"Mike, if I do that..."

"Then you'll win that case you've been stressed about." His hands traced the perimeter of her thighs, avoiding the robe, until it played with the nub it was searching for. "Or better yet, I'll just take your mind off of it."

Michonne blushed and giggled from her lover's approach. That was soon replaced with gasps and moans.

!%/$=&

Rick woke up with his arm draped over a drooling Lori. He knew he was in love the first time he saw her like this, and thought it was adorable. He smoothed her hair away from her face. It was probably impossible to make her 100% happy, but there was nothing to complain about in terms of their sex life. There would have to be something extraordinarily phenomenal to make him give up on her, their marriage, their family.

He slowly got up to avoid waking her. The blood started to flow again in his right arm from how he rested. Rick noticed in the bathroom mirror that his muscles were losing tone. When was the last time he hit up a gym? How strong did the Sergeant have to be to dismember Hollie like that? He tried to shake the images out of his head and splashed water on his face. He saw Abe at several events around town with the deceased. He may have been a cheater, but they always played the role of a happy couple. What could drive a man to do that to someone he at one time loved?

&^%&

Erykah Badu's voice lowly echoed throughout the kitchen as Mike cooked breakfast. Michonne took in his handsome presence. She was loving how easy this was here. He seemed so natural this way. This place had to be home.

"I can feel your eyes on me."

"After what you did to me upstairs, I can't help but to stare." Andre rubbed his eyes as she secured him in his high chair.

"Babe," Mike turned around. "After all that I've put you through, put us through, you can look forward to me giving you gifts every day."

Michonne returned a smile. It was when he resumed cooking that she wiped a lonely tear.

&^%$

The grits were watery, and the eggs were a bit soggy, but the bacon was magnificently crispy. Carl walked in while the rest of his family was already seated for breakfast.

"Hey," he nonchalantly greeted.

Rick smiled as he continued to wave a spoon near Judith's face. "Morning!"

Lori looked up from her meal. "What took you so long? I was starting to get concerned."

Carl attempted to hide the compelling need to roll his eyes. "I had to shower. Look, I want to walk to school today."

"You're taking on a big responsibility if you do that," Rick told him.

"I think I'm ready. Remember, I used to be school safety?" Carl expertly only reached for the bacon.

His mother's lips pinched. "I didn't like it when you did that."

His father ignored her complaint. "Well, you got a point there. I'll give you a shot."

"Thanks Dad!" Carl ran off before Lori could further object. Rick smiled; his son was growing up.

"Why the hell did you let him do that?!" Lori stood to tensely scrape Carl's plate in the garbage.

Rick replied while smirking, "Lori, you used to always walk to school."

Her eyes widened. "That was then! Things have changed ~ he could be kidnapped or hit by a car!"

"He's 15. He can't be a baby all of the time."

She huffed, "you, of all people, should know how dangerous it is out there."

He chuckled to himself. It was his way of channeling anger – her frantic annoyance was cute, sure. "He can't live in a bubble, Lori." Rick stopped himself from saying that this most than likely about some girl. Oh no, that would have made her panic about potential babies. "Maybe you should go to the spa today and get your mind off of thangs."

# %%

She took off the cucumbers to see her assistant sitting next to her. Her towel-wrapped head rested back on the table. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're in love with me. But you probably are." Her assistant did not flinch and continued to look at her. "What Tara," she rolled her eyes.

"We can't all keep these people from looking for you. After a while, they'll figure out what your work schedule might be, where's your next appearance… I have your back at all costs, but why are you hiding out if you have nothing to hide?"

The starlet began to play with her nails. "Abe didn't kill that woman."

"He could get the death penalty for that you know. It's not my place but right is right, wrong is wrong."

"Not everything is black and white!" Rosita looked up with watery eyes. "You know, he wasn't gonna leave his wife for me. I was just his fantasy, something to escape with once in a while. The one he found when she was nothing, but look at her now, out there with posters on everyone's walls and magazines. But he never wanted me to be his reality. That was her. I couldn't compete with that if I tried. He wouldn't kill her. He didn't kill her."

Tara held her hands. "Sweetie, he'll be punished if you don't say something. Can you live with that?"

Rosita turned to her. "I don't think I'll live if I do."


	5. Chapter 5

**_AN: Thanks for the reviews and reading!_**

_-Warnings: sexual harassment (or pain ol' creepiness) & implied racism_

**Chapter 5: A New World**

Everyone needs a release. Some bide their time in occupational misery until the time clock released them into freedom. The tension built up from the courtroom was her escape. Gone were random and uncertain thoughts of the possibility of Mike messing things up. No, in here she used her prowess. She yearned for opening arguments, but was smart enough to recognize the many holes in their situation.

"So you're saying that you left Ms. Espinoza's at 11 pm," she examined.

"Yes," Abraham affirmed.

"Where was she staying at?"

"Laketown Wharf in Panama City Beach. We usually spend our time there, where there's no paparazzi."

Michonne looked at the ceiling, allowing wheels to turn. "Did you drive of fly back?"

"I drove." His large fingers twiddled with each other. He looked at her, waiting for the next question.

"Of course." A man coming home from a long drive to heinously kill his wife? That didn't sound right. Unless... "You might not like me asking this, but you know, they will. How were things between you and Holly? Did she know about you and Rosita?"

Abraham's chest rose. "Her friends were starting to tell her that things didn't add up, so we were arguing more because I couldn't lie well enough. I still loved her, and knew I would never divorce her. She'd have to do it. But we still got along."

Michonne nodded in understanding. "Sorry, but were you still intimate?"

"Very much so. It wasn't just that. We went to the gun range together. Went out. Did everything we always used to."

"Where's this gun range?"

"'Martinez'. It's on Highway 22. We went last Saturday."

"Okay. I have to ask this too. Why the affair?"

Abe realized there was no judgment in her eyes. He figured that, with all of her experience, she might not care. "Everything's confidential, right?"

"Of course," was the quiet response.

"Rosita was there first. Holly didn't know it. But I had Rosita before anyone ever knew of her. She's been a part of me before I became a veteran. She's just been...there. I just never ended it."

His lawyer silently nodded her head again, trying to not judge him as a piece of shit. So, he cheated on his wife and mistress? She put up with more with Mike. Still, it didn't make sense for Abe to suddenly decide that Holly's life needed to end over never-ending affair. "Was there any other secret you were hiding? Are you gay, have children out of wedlock, involved in a money scheme?"

The huge man's shoulders shook as he belted out laughter. "Thank you for that! I haven't laughed in so long! I used to be the luckiest man on earth, but now I'm lucky to have a lawyer with a sense of humor."

Michonne's smile couldn't help but to join his amusement. "I'll take that as a 'no'."

-000000-

Her wheels never had so much dirt. This drive wasn't going as expected, and her trustworthy GPS had her going on circles.

"Terry, how many times do I have to say it? Lake-town-wharf! How long have you lived in the South? Yea, that place where kids go for Spring Break. It's not 'Redneck Alley' anymore, things change. "The gas pump read that it didn't accept credit cards. Michonne was becoming more annoyed as she walked to the store. "No, we're not gonna move back to Atlanta. Oh please, I didn't steal your best friend. Terry, just do your job - you know you don't like my ugly side."

Michonne hung up and blurted out, "can I please get 20 on number 1," without looking up as she examined packs of gum and maps.

"We-e-ell," Exclaimed a man's gruff but high pitched voice. "You look a bit out of place. What is someone like you doing around here?"

Michonne stiffened. "Excuse me," she chided.

"No, I don't mean because you're a sexy dark piece of chocolate. I mean because you're a bit too dittied up to be walking through the woods." He licked his lips, to which she shuddered.

Michonne contemplated the fact that she was indeed lost. "Where is Martinez' Gun Shop?"

The man with the name tag "Merle" smiled. "So, the Nubian princess is lost. I didn't know y'all could use guns nowadays, unless it's to shoot each other. Let's say I help you out and you give me your number."

"Let's say you put $20 worth of gas in pump number one, you tell me how to get to Martinez, and you can sleep another day with your dick not cut off."

Merle thought about it. She did seem like the type to cut off body parts.

-000000-

"Baby, I'm so sorry." Her hands rubbed the dashboard. "Momma's gonna give you a nice day at the car wash. Then we're going to the mechanics to make sure nothing bad happened on that mean, bumpy road."

She stepped out of her convertible BMW, laughing at how prissy she was a she chirped the alarm on. She came from a rough and tumble background. It might have been in an urban seettng, but it was foolish for her to be so upright. She had the money to save such a beauty of a vehicle if she needed to. Besides, how would she be if she had to live in the woods? She as sure she wouldn't be a damsel in distress.

The young professional walked into the gun shop and noticed Latino man eyeing her suspiciously.

"Are you Martinez?" She asked with a smile.

"Yes. Are you from out of town?"

"Yes and no. I just moved here. But I need to speak with you about my client. In his attorney, Michonne Gibson, and he said he and his wife were here last Saturday."

"Yes, Abe and his wife were here." Martinez relaxed a bit after seeing what Michonne's purpose was.

"How did you know I was going to-?"

"It's called the news. Nothing much happens around here."

"Would you mind being a witness?" She handed him her card.

Sheriff Grimes steeped out from an office. His and Michonne's eyes met with the same level of annoyance.

"I'll call you. I have to deal with something else at the moment."

Rick pretended she wasn't there. "Do you think he stole anything else?"

"No. The wife and I looked at the inventory again and again. It makes me not want to hire anyone again," responded Martinez.

"Okay, well we'll check where Randall usually hangs out..."

Michonne moved to the side as they continued to discuss a person who might become a new client. Meanwhile, she read a text from Bob Stookey, stating that he wanted to use his new attendance at an AA meeting as a character defense. "Absolutely!" she thought to herself. She looked up to see Rick glaring at her, invading her personal space.

"What are you doing here?"

"It's not my business to tell you."

"How did you know anything was happening here?"

She chuckled. "Oh my God. I never have to fish for a case. They. Come. To. Me."

Something in the way her plump lips formed words made his crotch swell, especially when she said "come". This only further angered him.

"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't interrupt my investigations, Ms. Gibson."

She laughed again. Damn that smile was sexy. "There's no yellow tape. It's a free country. And you're interrupting my investigation." The smile transformed into a scowl, that he somehow found adorable.

Rick's jaw clenched. "Aren't you supposed to have investigators?"

Michonne thought of Terry, who had a tough time concentrating on life if drugs weren't involved. She simply didn't answer, and sauntered off to Martinez. Rick, in a zombie like trance, watched as her hips swayed away.

"Mr. Martinez, I see that your busy and am sorry that you have other troubles going on. Please give me a call so that the right person goes to jail. I hope your day gets better."

Rick's eyes were still fixated on the door after Michonne left.

"Dude, Lori would kick your ass if she ever saw that," Martinez joked.

"See what? That I can't stand her?"

"This is my first time seeing the woman, and you give her the ultimate fuck eyes. You hate her because you can't fuck her."

Rick couldn't believe he just said that. "I can't believe you just said that. I'm married and I love my wife. You keep talking nonsense like this, and I'll tell Gisele about what you really did at your bachelor party!"

Martinez' face twisted. He didn't remember much from that day. All he knew is it got dark. He also knew if Lori wasn't such a _bitch_, Rick wouldn't have the heart to lust.

"Well, all I'm gonna say is, you better be careful. You don't see many women in Kings County look that good, and carry themselves like her. You just better be careful."

Rick's hands rested on his hips. "Well, there's nothing to worry about. She's with someone anyway." Martinez could sense the jealousy.

"None of that matters. Even fantasizing about another woman doesn't matters. Just don't do anything stupid."

-000000-

Terry finally arrived at Laketown Wharf. It was a huge condominium, with a great view of the emerald shores of the Gulf Coast. He wondered why he never came to this area more often for R&R. Oh, that's right. He was a gay Jewish man who was taught this area was full of rednecks. Maybe Michonne was right. It didn't seem so bad so far. They did have a long talk about how he sees other people and shouldn't be so quick to judge.

"Hi," he introduced himself, using his best John Wayne voice. "Terry David." He flashed his badge. "I'm a P.I. looking for information about Abraham Ford and Rosita Espinoza staying here."

The young blonde's flashing of braces came to a sudden halt. "Oh no, we don't give out information like that. I have to speak with my manager if anything."

He slid her an envelope, filled with hundreds.

-00000000-

"It's about time you picked up," Terry exasperated.

"Sorry. I didn't want to get lost in the woods again."

"What?"

Michonne squinted. "Never mind. What's up? What did you find? "

"Number 1, that place is beautiful!"

"Terry!"

"Number 2, your boy Abe wasn't lying. He and Rosita own a condo over at Laketown."

"No way!" Why wouldn't he tell Michonne this? She felt some agitation growing in her spine.

"Yes, but I'm sure he didn't know that a Eugene Porter shacks it up there a lot too."

"That's his best friend."

"Do you want me to look into it?"

Michonne paused. "See if you can get past Rosita's people. Eugene lives in the same town as me. I'll see what I can do."

She hung up before Terry would protest.


	6. Chapter 6

**_AN: If I owned any part of The Walking Dead or AMC, I'd be a helluva lot richer than I am now. Nope, this is all done in fun!_**

**_CodeName-M.e.: _**_Martinez is a fine ass SOB, isn't he? I heard that actor is about to be in some real deal movies coming up this summer. But anyway, I think if Martinez met Rick before he met the Governor, he could have been a "good guy" and gotten along with everyone. Remember that episode where they had a failed negotiation, and Martinez and Daryl actually _talked_? That let me know he wasn't just some goon. But yea, I bet most people can tell Rick has googily eyes. Will this story's Rick calm that down is the question._

**_literaturechick: _**_Is it just me, or are there certain scenes between Richonne that is combustible? And they aren't even romantically involved…I will explore later on in the story if Martinez is the only one who views Lori in that way (BTW, I glimpsed an article where I think the actress who plays Lori is glad she made her so hateful. Sometimes, playing the villain/very disliked character can be fun)._

**_Siancore:_**_ You're welcome. If you can tell by the tone I sometimes set in my stories, I'm not a fan of cheaters. It's against Rick's nature to cheat (ignore "Opaque Tides"; that's the exception). But…you best believe, he is doing his best to stick to his morals!_

**Chapter 6: Damsels**

Terry frantically dialed his friend's number. Women were so hard-headed. He was somewhat glad that he wasn't romantically involved with such a headstrong person such as her. Even if he wasn't, he still felt responsible for her. His guilt towards her was like an old, wet Band-Aid. He could change it, but never did. He left it there so he could remind himself of the pain she had to endure in the past. However, Terry knew he wasn't the one who caused the wound. It was the person who he was calling now.

"Mike, you gotta pick up!" This had to be the third time he called his best friend, only to hear it constantly go to voicemail. "Sonnovabitch!" he stammered as a nearby mother covered her son's ears. _Oh please, like you never curse_, he thought as he glared at her. It appeared that his plane had finally reached the terminal. And Mike still hadn't picked up…Terry thought about his options as he boarded the plan. His Google Maps showed that Kings County wasn't too far from Atlanta. Maybe he could leave the hick town that was Panama City for another hick town. Or he could continue on the mission that Michonne sent him on and seek out this Rosita. He recalled the many times she was on TV, thinking to himself that she only landed roles because of her pretty face. Was this beautiful woman the reason why a simple case wasn't so simple? Terry sighed and looked at the window, trying to avoid a conversation with a man next to him who wore crumbs as a part of his shirt.

-00000000-

Rick didn't look only in his rearview member to continue being the safe driver that he was. He also had to look in the mirror and remind himself of who he was. He was a sheriff. A friend. A father. _A husband_. Looking at other women never bothered him. Whenever he did, he would only glance for a second and get over it. Other women were just that – other women. Their appearance could not compare to the love he had for the woman he met in high school. Once they found each other, his young heart knew she was it. His whole being wrapped around her happiness and ensuring that he could provide for her. This was the person who helped define him. What could he be without her? His whole adult life involved her. She was there during all of his steps into the "real" world. Their parents agreed that their decision for her to be a stay at home wife was the right, traditional thing to do. Maybe that was why she was miserable? Why the hell was she so miserable? The more he drove, the more he got pissed off. She was so ungrateful for all of his efforts. Kings County didn't have much crime, but it had enough abusive episodes to make Rick run home and show her more love. If she only knew, if she only knew how good she had it.

He couldn't help but to think of that lawyer again. She seemed happy with whoever she was with. And, she was different. He never had a conversation with him, but it seemed he didn't need to. Maybe it was all in his mind, but he felt her presence call out to him every time she entered a room. He played with his ring at a stoplight. That was something he was doing more of. Abraham Ford's case needed to add soon. Hopefully when that came to an end, Michonne would leave also.

Shane and Daryl almost rushed him when he entered the precinct.

"M'ask you something," started Shane. "What if I told you we got the results?"

"Wha-" Rick didn't know what he meant.

Daryl continued, "the results. Wake up man, forensics finally sent us the lab results on Holly."

Rick's jaws clenched. "Okay, well, what is it." That's when he noticed his partners were holding shotguns.

"That weird ass mother fucker we met the other day? Well, his shit was all over the place." Shane explained.

Rick pinched the bridge of his nose. Getting Randall, the kid who stole from Martinez, was not a priority at that moment. "Ain't that some shit, Abe's best friend killed his wife and was gonna let him rot in prison for it."

Shane handed him a shotgun. "Yea, there's some fucked up people out there."

"Another thing," added Daryl. "Abraham's lawyer has been calling. She said she's going right to where we're headin' now. We tried to tell her not to, but she said we shoulda' been investigated this, and she 'got this'".

Rick heavily heaved. "Fuck, let's go!" They ran to their patrol cars; Shane riding with him as usual, and Daryl in his own. "This is fucking unbelievable!"

"Yea, I wanted to arrest him when we saw him, but there was no good reason to," agreed Shane.

"No," Rick corrected. "I just saw that lawyer at least an hour ago at Martinez', and she didn't say anything about this. Why the fuck would she put herself in danger like that?!"

Shane stared at his partner. "Why was she over there?"

"I don't know. Maybe investigating the case. Maybe, if she let us talk to her client more instead of cock-blocking our every move, this shit wouldn't be happening! Maybe, we would be just driving over there to pick up a suspect, instead of having to probably save her ass!"

Shane rubbed his head. "Yea, she stepped outta bounds with this one. But I ain't gonna lie, that's the type of woman I like. And she's sexy as hell, doesn't seem like the damsel in distress type. I bet she-"

"She's taken. She's with someone. And they seem happy," Rick interrupted.

-00000000000-

Michonne patiently waited after knocking on the door. This area looked shady as ever. No, it looked lonely. It had to be the type of place hermits and social outcasts retreated after fulfilling their societal duties at work. Those must have been the only places where they showed their face. She wondered how a vibrant personality such as Abraham's became close buddies with a person who lived in an apartment building like this. She also wondered if he knew this guy was screwing around with his woman on the side. Men could avoid this type of drama if they just kept it in their pants.

"Who is it?" asked a gruff voice from behind the door.

"Ms. Gibson. I'm a friend of Abraham's."

The door was yanked open, only to be restricted by a door chain. "I'm Abraham's friend, and I don't know you."

She gave a seemingly genuine smile. "Well, that's because we just met. I'm his attorney and wanted to know if you could help with the case?"

Eugene looked at the floor, and then up at her. "It would be against my best interests to discuss this matter with you. Now if you'll excuse me-"

Her foot got in the way of him shutting the door. "Mr. Porter, would you want to see your friend go away for life for something he didn't do? I'm sure he has helped you out in the past. We're talking about a man's life here." Her huge eyes widened with sorrow as they dug into his smaller ones. Eugene looked at the floor once again. She was losing him. "I already spoke to Rosita."

"Come in," he welcomed as he undid the chain.

-00000000-

"Is this tha car?" Daryl's eyes were making love with the black BMW.

Shane rolled his eyes. "I didn't think you were into shiny things."

Daryl moved his hands off of it quickly. "No, fuck no! I ain't into it." He almost blushed. He really wasn't materialistic, but that thing was beautiful. "I think this is the lawyer's car, and it's still hot. She might be in there."

"Okay," Rick nodded. "Shane and I are gonna go first. Daryl, I need you right behind us. It's obvious that this prick is dangerous from how he killed Mrs. Ford. Back-up is on the way. Let's do this ASAP, and don't shoot unless you know for sure that the lawyer is not in the way."

His partners nodded in agreement. They knew this was a potential hostage situation. It wasn't brought up, because it would only add tension to already screwed up circumstances. Their only negotiator left town months ago for a better paying position in Atlanta. So did many of their police force. The SWAT team decreased in size because many of them believed they should have tanks like some neighboring communities. Rick objected, stating that the police force doesn't need to use military force on citizens. Besides, Kings County was not likely to get hit by terrorist attacks. DA Glenn Rhee and the Mayor Maggie Rhee agreed with him, but there were still objectors. Rick's marriage was shaky. Rick's leadership was continuously questioned. No matter what, he knew his boys were there to back him up, and the DA and mayor weren't too far behind.

Some of the lonely neighbors peaked their heads out as Rick's heavy hands banged on the door. "Eugene Porter, it's the Sherriff, OPEN UP!" he bellowed.

There was nothing. The men masked worry on their face, covered it with looks that were ready for war. He banged on the door again, shouting out the same commands. "If you don't open," he continued, "we will knock this door down!" The door swung open. A TV flickered on the side of the living room – apparently Eugene never upgraded to the digital world. The men silently moved in the small space. The kitchen area was more of continuation of the living room. Paper was scattered on the floor, and there was some broken glass. The officers looked at each other – there was obviously a struggle. Rick motioned for the other two to follow behind him in the short hallway.

"Sherriff?" A woman's voice called out. It was so low he could hardly hear it. Rick's heartbeat increased in tempo. He wouldn't forgive himself if she was dead, and he could have somehow prevented it. Somehow? He wasn't sure, but as head of the police force, he always felt responsible.

His shotgun lead the way as he turned the corner into the bedroom. The two people he came there for were on bare mattress in a dusty room. Eugene was face down, drool dripping from his unconscious face. One of his eyes was swollen and black. He looked like a used up piñata.

Michonne sat with her knees up to her chest. Her designer clothes weren't disheveled, her hair wasn't out of place. The only things missing were her shoes, which sat at the foot of the bed. "All I came here to do was ask him some questions," she narrated as she stared in front of her. "He thought that opened the door for him to attack me." Now she turned to look at three officers, but her eyes buried into Rick's. "Or, he thought he could attack me. He threw a glass bottle at me. I dodged it. Then he chased me back here, but I apparently handled it."

"Why didn't you let us handle it?" Rick asked. Shane was grinning the whole time, but Daryl was unnerved.

"You mean, why didn't I let you come here first? I wasn't sure that you all were really investigating this case. My client could have gone down for a crime he did not commit." She stood up and bent to pick up her shoes, he rear pointing in their direction. Rick gulped. "I do anything for my clients, especially when they're innocent."

"Of course you'd say that. But you don't know if he's innocent. You're batshit crazy to come out here and pull a stunt like that! What if you got killed?" Daryl wasn't as mystified as Rick. Shane tried to hide a chuckle. He couldn't believe this actually went down.

Michonne looked at the unconscious man on the bed. "If he was innocent, then why are you three here with shotguns? Also, I wasn't gonna get killed. Not today. Excuse me." They parted out of her way so she could pass, but Rick grabbed his arm.

"We have to make a report of this."

She yanked her arm back. "No, we don't."

Her hips swayed as she walked away. Rick's eyes followed the rhythm that they made, until she finally left the door. _That woman can't be real_. "Yea, I'd want to tear that ass up too," Shane's whisper in his ear brought Rick back to reality. Another person noticed how he watched Michonne. This was happening way too often. This case needed to end…

-00000000-

Someone picked up the phone, but no one said anything for a few seconds. Terry tensed as he heard nothing but air.

"Mike!" he screamed.

"Oh, Terry! It's my boy Terry! Didn't I tell y'all about Terry? Yea, that's my ace right there!" Despite his enthusiasm, Terry could tell Mike was groggy.

"Hey, dumbass! I've been trying to reach you for a minute!"

"You have? But I got missed calls saying you called hours ago. It's like, dude, what the fuck, couldn't you tell I was busy?"

_"He was busy asshole!" _someone's voice screeched from the background.

"And I texted you," Terry continued.

"You did?"

"I did."

"Dude, I thought we established this years ago, I don't go that way."

Terry felt his temperature rise. "Listen, you dumbass prick, Michonne is in danger. Stop smoking or doing whatever the fuck you are doing, and call her. Try to figure out where she is at. She won't tell me a thing, but be her man and handle this!"

Mike chuckled. "N^$%* please! She's Michonne! She whooped my ass before! She is not in danger!" Mike hung up, and then looked at his watch. He had to pick up Andre in a few hours. It was definitely his routine sober time.

Meanwhile, Terry contained himself from throwing his precious Galaxy on the ground. He tried to gather himself and fixed the clothes he was wearing. A woman opened the door, her face beaming with a smile.

"Come in," she welcomed. "Terry?"

"Yes, and you're the lovely Tara," he kissed her cheek. "I definitely want more insight from you about my new magazine!"


	7. Chapter 7

**_Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! As always, please know that I own no part of The Walking Dead or AMC._**

**_Midnights-AM-Child: _**_Thanks for finding and reviewing this story! I have no idea why it doesn't show up on the general search (that's probably why you're just finding it), even with filters for Michonne and M ratings. I wanted to build up the family dynamics on both sides before, well, before destroying them in a sense. Wow, I suddenly feel evil._

**_kimyso:_**_ Thanks for the complements! Speaking of…not too many people who are pro-Richonne find Lori attractive, I'm starting to see. Then again, not too many TWD fans liked her anyway. I guess her personality sucked just that much. Who was that woman with Mike? hmmmmm_

**_literaturechick:_**_ As always, thanks for your reviews! Some of the questions that you have about Mike are answered in this update. To be determined if Mike would keep his own son safe, or allow his addiction to take precedence. Confession: I always loved Shane's character, even though he transformed into "Full Shane" and got himself killed on the show. If I can put him in a story, I try my best to do so. On your comments about Lori's actions leading to her losing Rick – read more._

**Chapter 7: No Obligations**

"Your place is giving me life," exclaimed Terry. He wasn't putting on. He was genuinely enjoying the warm colors of his host's small condo and the postmodern abstract artwork displayed on her walls. "Girl, I'd need a wife to hook up my house like this!"

She blushed. "Thank you. It's not much actually."

"Well that's the thing. There are so many people I know who think they have to use so much to make their house stand out. But you got it all figured out. And it's so sunny in here."

Tara moved a loose strand of hair behind her ear. A slight giggle escaped her mouth. "I love sunshine and just want to bring it in. But enough about me and my amateur interior decorating. Let's discuss what you're here for."

Terry's smile overtook his face. "Right." He pulled out a portfolio. "I call this 'Pride', but if you have a better suggestion, I'm open to hearing it. It's a magazine about the LGBT community in Atlanta and surrounding areas."

"Hmmm…what makes it different from any other publications like it? We have plenty of it."

Terry smirked. His BS factor got him into this woman's house, and he did a pretty good job of flirting with her. Maybe he could just get to the point. "Tara, you seem like such a knowledgeable person, but I'm not really here for that."

"Oh," the ever-present sunniness dimmed from her face. "I don't take too well to allowing people in my house under false pretenses. You can leave now."

He tried to not burst into laughter. He could see right through her toughness to see what only reminded him of Hello Kitty. "I wouldn't either, but I don't know how well I'd sleep at night if I knew a man could get the death sentence or life for something he wasn't a part of."

Her eyes instantly watered. "I, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Honey, yes you do. I could go to the tabloids and expose your boss for having an affair with an alleged killer, while sleeping with his best friend. Or, she could just help this man that she supposedly loves and minimize the amount of negative press she'd get."

"You don't know that."

"I don't, but I can tell that you're not the type of person who is okay with all of this."

Her hardened gaze fell from him. She looked upon her feet, which were shuffling while she was sitting.

-00000000000-

What she did not admit to the officers was that there actually was a small struggle. Eugene was a heavy man who did not know how to defend himself, but he most definitely was a _heavy_ man. Punching him was similar to jamming her fist into a ham hock. She massaged her knuckles after locking her door behind her.

"Hey honey, I'm home," she let out. It was an inside-joke-greeting she shared with Mike. They had upbringings that were far from perfect, and considered announcements such as the one she just did to be _corny_. The truth of the matter was, those type of greetings were the ones that they wanted every day of their life. The wanted the television suburbia to be in their home. Or, that's what Michonne thought they agreed upon.

"Hello?"

It was more quiet than usual. The TV was pitch black in the living room. Her lover was not conjuring up a new "Mike Special" in the kitchen. Her favorite men were not running about in the backyard. She cautiously walked up the stairs. It was rare for them to be in the sleeping areas of the house at this time. She knew that Mike tried to stay as active as possible to get away from his thoughts. And there they were…

Andre had massacred his room with toilet paper. This is what any three year old would have done, given the opportunity. Mike had given him full freedom. He was laid out on his son's floor. Michonne wished his drool was blood. She kicked at him, but he didn't nudge. The rage burned inside of her, something she hadn't felt in so long. It terrified her. The last time this feeling had maximized, she pulled a knife out on him.

She picked up her son and stormed downstairs. As she did, her cell rang.

"Michonne?"

"He-, hey Terry."

"I'm glad I caught you! I got Rosita to take a visit to King's County this Monday! She's willing to talk to you about that Abraham case!"

"That's great." Michonne turned on the TV and put on Sesame Street reruns.

"Michonne…" he could tell something was up. There was an utter lack of enthusiasm in her voice. "Did he…?"

"If you suspect it, what more is there to say?"

He hated the defeat in her voice. He wasn't going to add to her misery by adding the strange phone conversation he had with Mike earlier. No, telling her some woman was laughing in the background would just drive her to a dark place. "You don't always have to put up with it."

"I gotta go. Thanks for being the best private eye I could ever find." She hung up before he could continue.

-0000000000-

"…So that's when I knew I should have my own car."

Rick chuckled. "Is that right? After walking, on your own for a few days, you think you should graduate to a car? Lori, do you hear this?"

She pranced around the kitchen while burping Judith. "Yes, I hear this comedy."

"I know I need a license. I know I'm not old enough, either. I'm just saying, when the time comes, I hope you two are ready," continued Carl.

Rick replied, "I love how ready you are for the future, but you'll have to earn a car first."

"Right," Carl's mother added. "That means improving those grades for once, and keeping them better."

"Mom, I only had one 'C'," Carl protested. "Dad?"

Rick laughed, but stopped once he noticed Lori's glares. "Yes, your mom is right. You know failure is not an option. Now get to your homework."

Carl lurched upstairs to his room. Rick pinched his nose, readying himself for his time to be chastised.

"How in the world does he think a 'C' is okay? He is way too smart for that. I just wish he would apply himself more."

"You're right," Rick agreed. His dad always taught him "happy wife, happy life". "He'll learn baby, I'm sure of it. Hey, I've been thinking." He wanted to change the subject as soon as possible before encountering venom. "Did you ever consider doing something outside of the house?"

"Well, honey, you know I'm a part of the PTA, volunteer with the church, the Republican Women's Council…"

He stopped her before she continued, "no. Babe, I meant have you ever considered working?"

"Oh." Her face froze.

"I ask because I'm not sure if you're just happy with just, you know…"

"Being a housewife?"

"Yea."

"That sounds ridiculous. You should know how I feel about that. A woman's place is to secure the household and make sure everything is where it should be. I do what I'm supposed to, to make sure we have a home and not a house."

"Okay."

"I mean, have you ever seen how these working mothers live? They often end up divorced, because they are too selfish to just let the man handle what he needs to do. "

Rick grimaced. Lori knew pretty well that many of his female relatives were working women, but…whatever. "Lori, are _you_ happy?"

She placed Judith on the floor so she could crawl, and began to play with the ends of her hair. "Why would you ask that?"

"Are you?"

The question seemed to perplex her. Her eyes darted as if she lost track of where she actually was. "Butter, that's right. I have to get butter so I can get dinner together. I'll be back." She rushed out.

Rick sat at the table and picked up Judith after she tugged on his pants leg. He might have figured out the cause of his wife's misery. Sadly, there was probably nothin' he could do about it. She needed to figure out who she was on her own.

-000000000-

Andre had gotten enough energy from Michonne that day. She could not deny that reverting back to being a child was not worth it. They had played on the swings together, ran together in the monkey gym, and other exhausting activities that temporarily relieved her of any thoughts of home. This was what she needed in order to focus on her cases, her son, and maybe even herself. The tired mother sat on a bench and watched her son turn his attention to a new playmate. His innocence was what she lived for, until… She knew he was not always going to be this bubbly and pure entity of wonder. One day, he will join the league of nightmares called teenagers. Her love would never change for him. Nonetheless, she would do all that she could to ensure he wouldn't have his father's _ways_.

"I didn't expect to find you here." Michonne looked up to see Officer Grimes standing with a blonde baby girl in his arms. The girl squirmed to wiggle out, to which he obliged with a smile. Michonne squirmed as well. She was not in the mood for this man, not today.

"Officer," she returned.

"You mind if I sit?"

"It's a free country," she replied with the cliché.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

Michonne tried to control her eyes from rolling at the generic small talk that was about to form. "Yeah, yes it is. Perfect day for the park."

"Any of these tikes yours?" They were sitting in the designated toddler section of the playground.

She couldn't help but smile a bit when even slightly talking about her peanut. "Yes, the little one with the big head who's running on the bridge. That's my Andre."

Rick returned her smile. "Well you just saw my boss, my little Judith."

Michonne chuckled. "I see, she didn't need words to let you know that she was ready to go."

He grinned. "Yes, that might be everyday life. I want her to be daddy's girl, but even if she will be, I think she'll be too independent to be bored with me all of the time. I sometimes think her brother is ready to move out of the house, and he can't even drive yet."

"That's funny. Where I grew up, you didn't need cars. A lot of kids who wanted to would just find a way and move if they felt the urge strong enough."

Rick looked at his adversary to see she was staring off to somewhere beyond the park. "You mind if I ask where that was."

"Oh, a little bit of New York, a little bit of Atlanta, a little bit of other…places." _Why am I telling this man all of this_? "Anyway, I figured King's County would be a nice place to raise a child."

The more she spoke, the more Rick was intrigued. Her story might have not been that different from many others. She could have been an army brat. She could have been something else. Whatever she was, he felt lucked out on that day to learn more about _her_. "I guess it's all right. You don't have to duck your head once you step outside from bullets flying."

Michonne arched her head back. "Oh, now that, that is pure bull. Shit happens everywhere, and it's not always dangerous in big cities. Besides, I wouldn't have a job here if this place was utopia."

Rick laughed, "I'm sorry if I offended you."

"No, it takes a lot to offend me."

"Well, nonetheless, you and your husband," he glanced quickly to see there was no ring on her finger, but it was too late, "seem pretty happy to be here."

Michonne's eyes darkened and she averted his gaze. "Right, same for you and your wife."

_Okay, maybe her home isn't as perfect as I thought_. "Hey, I was wondering, where in the world did you learn how to fight off someone as huge as Eugene?"

"He wouldn't be considered huge to a man, but obviously for a woman he would be?"

"Once again, I apologi-"

"It was a joke." Michonne watched as he blushed. "Anyway, I learned from living, let's put it that way."

Rick blinked as he thought back to the conversation they had about this woman. He began to play with his wedding band, to which Michonne noticed.

"Andre and I have been here for a few hours now. He might not realize it, but he might be tinkered out. It was nice speaking to you."

She began to grab her and her son's belongings. Rick wanted to reach for her wrist. He had to think of something. "I don't take Judith to the playground often."

"Excuse me?" Michonne was already standing.

"I don't take her out as often as I should. I'm so dedicated to my job, to protecting this county, that I feel like I'm letting down my children, my wife. But then again, I take them out, do thangs, and it's still not enough."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Rick was not even sure himself. "If you could just stay here for a lil while? I'm not used to being the only adult in a playground."

Michonne smirked. "You and I cannot be friends, Officer Grimes. I defend the people that you want locked away."

Rick exhaled and rubbed his cleanly shaved chin. "That's true. Look, I don't think your son wants to go yet." As if on cue, Andre let out a yell of joy. "We don't have to be friends."

Michonne looked at her son, who was indeed not ready to go. She also did lie ~ they had only been there for 45 minutes. However, she was not born yesterday. She noticed the way Officer Grimes looked at her from day one. She noticed that, in the hidden depths of her soul, she was attracted to him also. She wasn't sure what was going on in his marriage, but knew for sure that Mike was heading down a dark path that she was tired of travelling alongside of. Rick did not know that he visit to the playground wasn't just for her little one. It was for her to figure out if she should send Mike to another rehab, kick him out, or just ignore his recent behavior as a slip up. Just talking with another man could be dangerous territory, because she was getting to the point of not caring about her relationship. _She was getting to the point of not caring…_

"Fine, as long as you know that was are not friends," she replied.


End file.
